Suzanne Goldenberg shows how local anti-wind groups are working with national fossil-fuel funded advocacy groups to wreck the wind industry.

Campaign groups and spokespersons for the wind industry say there has been a sharp rise in organized opposition since early 2009 when Obama put investment in renewable energy at the heart of his economic recovery plan.

A number of rightwing organizations, including Americans for Prosperity, which is funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, are attacking Obama for his support for solar and wind power. The American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), which also has financial links to the Kochs, has drafted bills to overturn state laws promoting wind energy.

The right wing strategy calls for

...setting up "dummy businesses" to buy anti-wind billboards, and creating a "counter-intelligence branch" to track the wind energy industry. It also calls for spending $750,000 to create an organization with paid staff and tax-exempt status dedicated to building public opposition to state and federal government policies encouraging the wind energy industry.[emphasis mine]